ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. – The U.S. has troops all over the globe to conduct the full range of military and humanitarian operations. These Soldiers need to be sustained with ammunition, food and other vital supplies. That is the job of U.S. Army Sustainment Command.
However, it can’t do its job without proper information, and that is where the unit’s G2 (Intelligence and Security) office steps in. The office is headed by Lt. Col. Alexander Corbin, deputy chief of staff for Intelligence and Security.
Corbin is the principal military adviser to the ASC commanding general for intelligence and counterintelligence. His department, consisting of around 30 military and Civilian personnel, serves as the primary agency for information, personnel, and industrial security.
“The biggest difference between ASC versus a theater sustainment command or other G2s within the military is that they look at their specific geographic area, whereas we are looking at global threats to logistics and Army sustainment,” said Capt. Arial Ayala, ASC intelligence production manager.
These threats can be from our near-peer competitors (Iran, Russia, North Korea, China or terrorists) or from weather.
Weather can pose a significant threat to both sustainment and combat operations. For ASC’s purposes weather can cause visibility issues that would prevent cargo planes from delivering supplies into the area, or stormy seas that would make it difficult for cargo ships to sail or dock at a port.
“We focus on any threat to the sustainment enterprise and provide the CG, the staff and the AFSB (Army Field Support Brigade) commanders timely information to help them make informed decisions,” said Corbin.
AFSBs are assigned to ASC and serve as the command’s “face to the field” to provide the warfighter whatever they need whenever they need it to fight and win. There are currently seven AFSBs located around the world.
The G2 is also home to the geospatial department, which aides in analyzing potential global threats to the command’s logistics capability.
“My job is to give pictures to words to make it easier for the commander to understand what is going on so he can make informed decisions,” said Sgt. 1st Class Lisa Tavai Knight.
She does this by extracting geographic data from satellite imagery and aerial photography to create and maintain multiple geospatial databases that are turned into maps. These maps allow the ASC commanding general and the AFSB commanders to visualize the situation to make a more informed decision.
While intelligence gathering is one aspect of the G2 operations, security is the other. The security division consists of information, personnel and industrial security.
Members of the Information Security team ensure classified information is being protected and handled properly through spot checks and by providing the mandatory training for all ASC personnel to ensure they understand their responsibilities in safeguarding information that could be used by adversaries to hurt the U.S.
To do this the Information Security team conducts monthly training to go over what types of information need to be protected. “Everyone is responsible for safeguarding classified information,” said Jodie Wesemann, information security specialist.
The Personnel Security section handles the security clearances for the military and Civilian employees at ASC. These are continuously vetted through random automated checks of commercial and government data sources that look for criminal activity, suspicious financial activity, foreign travel and court activity. These activities are flagged because it makes the person more open to bribes or possible blackmail in exchange for revealing secrets.
He recommended all personnel take an active role in maintaining their clearance, and in the event of a life changing event, such as debt beyond the ability to make monthly payments, or a DUI, to inform the ASC G2 security manager immediately.
The Industrial Security section manages the Contractor Background Investigation program for every ASC contractor that works at the headquarters or one of its subordinate commands. Corbin said the command processes between 7,000-10,000 suitability checks a year.
The suitability check is done through the ASC adjudication portal, an online portal used to communicate with the contractor security officers or the individual contractors when they submit for background investigation.
“In order for a contractor to access a government security and get a CAC, (common access card) they have to have to undergo a suitability check,” said Corbin.
The length of the suitability check depends on the amount of information in a person’s background. “It could be days, weeks or months,” said Corbin. “Typically, if the contract company has someone who can’t be cleared quickly, they let them go because they can’t put them on the contract and get money from the government until the background check is completed.”
As of 2022, over 40,000 contractors work at ASC and its subordinate commands. While most of these contractors do jobs that do not require security clearances, some contractors work in jobs that require them to handle classified information, and therefore they need a security clearance, which is paid for by the contracting agency before they begin working.
ASC’s mission is to provide the logistical capabilities required for combatant commanders to complete their mission. The command achieves this by leveraging the expertise of the personnel working in the G2.
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